Chicks, Man

John and I are going to be moving into a house in Cooper City at the end of the month - yes, we are totally excited! When we first went to look at the house, the lady who lives there told us that she had pet chickens. Yes, chickens - as in Kentucky Fried, Cluckin', Rotisserie, etc. She took us out to her ENORMOUS backyard and in one corner of the yard was a little henhouse and when she called, 2 chickens came running towards her. It was unbelievable! She said that she had a friend who had them and raised them for their eggs (2 a day!). They required so little care and were so inexpensive that she decided to get a couple of her own. They stay outside, are not nearly as dirty as you would expect, and are extremely quiet. She treats them like pets and they provide her with fresh eggs - I'd like to see a cat try that one!!

So of course, John (being the redneck that he is) decided right then and there that since the yard was already set up for chickens that we should have them, too! The thought of having farm fresh eggs totally appealed to me and with the understanding that he would do all of the dirty work, I joyfully agreed to the idea.

Unfortunately, John was born without an ounce of patience so while I was in Tampa this weekend, he went out and bought 2 chicks. When I came home, he took me to pick one out for myself and now we are the proud owners of 3 chicks - Prissy, Sheryl, and Georgia - and John and I are obsessed!! John built a tiny mansion for them yesterday out on my sister's back patio and we are constantly checking on "the girls." Everyone we have told has looked at us like we are insane, but we think it is great! I would have loved to have waited until we were in our house, but I'm not complaining.

Pictures of the girls are coming soon...

My Husband, the Romantic

This was a real conversation that John and I had in the car yesterday driving from a friend's wedding to the reception...

Me: "That was a gorgeous wedding! I just love weddings!"

John: "Yeah, me, too. It's like a free expensive date."

Only in Georgia...

We passed this SUV on our drive down from Georgia to Florida...I miss living in Georgia!

Back In Florida

I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Pembroke Pines drinking my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of 2008 while I wait to have lunch with a friend. I needed to get some stuff done (paying bills, catching up on email, working on our budget, and updating my resume) and I figured this was as good a place as any. There is a cowboy-looking guy in the corner on his laptop, 2 suits in another corner who look like they are playing Battleship with their dual tiny laptops, a guy and a girl discussing religion (very interesting!) and an annoying beeping sound that no one behind the counter seems to be hearing. Yes, I think I could do this everyday if I could only find someone to pay me to do it!

It has been a very strange week. We had some family from GA come down to FL with us and they left this morning. We've been going out to eat and going to get facials and pedicures and spending lots of time visiting with family, so it has really felt like we have been here for a visit and will be heading back to Peachtree City any moment...but we're not. We've looked at a few houses and will continue our search this weekend, which is extremely ironic since this was the weekend that we had planned on moving into our new house in GA. I've had one interview that didn't go the way I had hoped it would, but it encouraged me just the same. Yes, it has been a strange week and the Pumpkin Spice Latte magic doesn't seem to be doing anything to improve things besides increasing my craving for another one...

Thankfully, things are not as "gloom and doom" as they have been over the past 2 weeks. John has a job - a very good job - at a time when there are over 10,000 pilots in America looking for flying jobs. Yes, we are blessed. We are living with my sister and her husband and our niece who all seem to be as happy to have us living there as we are thankful to be living there. We have family here that loves us and spoils us more than anyone ever has - we are blessed. We have a handful of friends who have kept in touch with us despite weirdness and distance who are now within driving distance and anxious to see us again. We have the hope that in 2 years, we will be back in GA with lots of wisdom and maturity.

Things could be a lot worse - God has been showing me that in so many ways over the past week. Despite the rotten history and memories that seem to be hidden in certain spots all around Fort Lauderdale, it is nice to be in the place that I called home for 99% of my life. So many things have changed - including me - and I hope that I don't miss out on the changes that still need to be made in me. I'm excited to see where God is going to lead us and what He has in store for us here!